Vaas: Sri Lanka CWC hopes rest on Malinga

Cape Town - Not for the first time Lasith Malinga
will carry the hopes of Sri Lanka on his back when they get their Cricket World
Cup underway in England.

Sri Lanka have not been at their best over the past year or so in the
white-ball version of the game and they will not be one of the fancied
sides before the tournament begins.

Any hopes they have of causing some kind of upset will be down to Malinga, according to his former team-mate Chaminda Vaas.

"He will be the key for Sri Lanka cricket in the upcoming World Cup," he said.

"There is no doubt that Malinga is one of the best in the world and
the best in Sri Lanka. We depend on him as a bowler and he showed his
leadership qualities."

Sri Lanka announced their 15-man squad for the World Cup last week
and Vaas believes the selectors have got the right mix, despite the
team's poor performance in the ODI format over the past year.

"For the last few months, Sri Lanka hasn't done so well. But if you
analyse the combination of the team which we picked for the World Cup,
I'm pretty sure that the selectors have done the right thing," he added.

Sri Lanka's opening match of the World Cup is against New Zealand on June 1 in Cardiff.